Ball type applicator dispenser



Jan. 26, 1965 G. D/MILES BALL TYPE APPLICATOR DISPENSER Filed Sept. 26. 1960 INVENTOR Gilbert D. Miles ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,166,779 BALL TYPE APPLICATGR DISPENSER Gilbert 1). Miles, Ossining, N.Y., assignor to Colgate- Palmolive Company, New York, N311, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 26, 196i), Ser. No. 58,397

2 Claims. (Q1. 15-572) This invention relates to liquid or paste dispensers of the so-called roll-on type and is particularly concerned with a special molded integral ball holding and sealing fitting that is free of cracking along the so-called weld line which results from molding.

It has been proposed to apply deodorants and the like from containers to the human skin by means of rotatable ball applicators mounted on the neck of bottles or other containers. Sometimes the applicator is surrounded by a protective cover that removably attaches to the container independently of the ball holding fitting and provision is made for the cover urging the ball into sealing contact with the fitting. Sealing is importanttoprevent drying out of the product or leakage during transportation.

The invention for its preferred embodiment will be disclosed as incorporated in a ball mounting fitting of the foregoing type.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary section showing the article of the invention according to its preferred embodiment as a ball holding fitting in a roll-on type dispenser;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the fitting apart from the container and cover;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of fitting apart from the container and cover;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the process of making of the fitting of FIGURES 1-3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlargement of a portion of FIGURE 4 for explanatory purposes; and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view showing a variation of the process of FIGURE 4.

Referring to FIGURES 1-3 the annular fitting 11 is mounted on the open neck of a container 12. A spherical dispenser ball 13 is universally rotatably mounted in fitting 11 and a cover 14 is removably mounted on the container 12 to extend over the entire fitting including ball 13. Ball 13 is a smooth surfaced sphere of polyethylene or like plastic capable of retaining its shape in the assembly.

The fitting 11 is an integral annular molded element, preferably of polyethylene or a like plastic. The radial cross-section of fitting 11 is entirely uniform, except for a tab at the ball seating portion as will appear.

Fitting 11 is formed with a thickened base 15 which has a cylindrical outer surface 16 and a fiat lower surface 17 in which is recessed a continuous container attachment groove 18. The peripheral inner wall 19 of groove 18 is cylindrical to fit smoothly with the cylindrical inner periphery 21 of the container neck. The cylindrical peripheral outer wall 22 of groove 18 which is adapted to fit snugly with the rim 23 of the container neck is formed adjacent the open end of groove 18 with a radially inwardly extending rounded surface rib 24 which is adapted to extend snugly into a similarly shaped external annular recess 25 about the container neck.

Since the polyethylene is flexible, in Order to mount fitting 11 upon the container 12, it is necessary only to position groove 18 over the container neck and push downwardly, the rib 24 carnming outwardly and fiexing the outer wall of groove 18 until rib 24 passes rim 23 and enters recess 25.

3,156,779 Patented Jan. 26, 1565 Above base 15 the fitting is formed with a ball mounting portion 26 which is of thinner section than the base and formed internally with a continuous surface zone 27 of spherical contour uniform about a center 28 lying on the vertical symmetry axis of the fitting. A horizontal plane through center 28 bisects surface 27.

The diameter of surface 27 is such as to embrace and support ball 13 for free smooth rotation of the ball, it being appreciated that the ball 13 is effectively normally retained in the fitting when the cover 14 is removed by the fitting upper mouth 29 which has a diameter smaller than the ball diameter. The ball diameter is sufficiently slightly smaller than the diameter of surface 27 to enable the rolling ball to convey fluent material from the interior of the container externally of the fitting for application.

At the lower end of the base fitting 11 is formed with a central circular opening 39 surrounded by a normally cylindrical wall 31 which exposes the lower end of ball 13 to the contents of the container. Above opening 30 the interior of fitting 11 is formed with an outwardly inclined upwardly facing annular wall 32 which is essentially a conical surface, and surface 32 merges into an internal cylindrical surface 33 of slightly greater diameter than the lower edge of spherical zone 27.

When a ball 13 is mounted in fitting 11 with cover 14 oif the lower end of ball 13 may bear lightly on the inclined surface 32 but not with sufiicient pressure to wipe off the material from the container picked up at openingv 3t). Thus with the cover 14 off there is no seal at opening 30 and no effort is made to seal at fitting groove 18.

When the dispenser is not in use the cover 14 is ap plied as shown in FIGURE 1, its lower end being formed with threads 34 to fit rotatably with spiral threads 35 integrally formed on the container below recess 25. It will be noted that the interior of the cover is clear of contact with fitting 11 as the threaded engagement at 34, 35 draws the cap in place until an internal ledge on the cover engages the base 15.

Within the upper end of cap 14 is an annular rib center projection 36 adapted, when the cap is drawn onto the container, to engage the top of ball 13 and positively urge the ball tightly against surface 32 in the vicinity of opening 30.

As ball 13 is displaced downwardly it retains its shape,

' since preferably it is solid, and it effectively downwardly deforms the unsupported annular section 37 of base 15 surrounding opening 30, this section bending under stress to the displaced position shown in full lines in FIGURE 1. This showing may be somewhat exaggerated but it helps illustrate the invention. The forcible engagement of ball 13 with surface 32 provides at least a circular line contact seal around opening 30, and as a practical matter because of the flexibility and resilience of the polyethylene material the seal is a wide band annular Zone concentric with opening 30. Thus, with cover 14 screwed onto the container 12, ball 13 is forced into valve seating closure with the fitting 11 about opening 30.

Also since the efiective bending of diaphragm section 37 takes place about the thinner web region indicated at 38 it will be appreciated that fitting surface 19 is expanded outwardly into a tight seal with the internal surface 21 of container 12. Thus the fitting is now leak tight upon the container.

Of particular importance in the invention is the provision of an integral tab 40 shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 as extending inwardly of the opening 31), and it will be observed that this particular tab 40 is particularly located to extend inwardly at the lower surface 41 of rim 42 about opening 31). In the assembly this surface 11 is in tension when the ball is forcibly seated by cover 14.

The circumferential location of tab 40 in the illustrated embodiment is of prime importance to the invention, and it is located to project inwardly at the so-called Weld line of the molded fitting which is indicated at VJ.

It is an'irnportant discovery and part of the invention that the provision of such tab as at the weld line and at the tension side of the ball seat and out of contact with the ball provides a structure of unexpectedly improved strength and resistance to rupture by forcible seating of the ball.

Extensive tests have shown that fittings of this type formed by usual molding processes and wherein no integral tab was projected at the weld line soon ruptured or cracked at the weld line to leak when subjected to the ball seating force, and that fittings according to the invention formed with such a tab were resistant to rupture and crack-free and remained in tight seal with the ball.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, the process will be described both as to its broadest aspects and as applied to the manufacture of the illustrated fitting ll.

A suitable mold is provided defining an outer molding surface 5% and an inner molding surface 51. These surfaces enclose an annular cavity of the required crosssection for the article to be molded. A gate 52 is provided for introducing the plastic into the mold. The inner surface 51 is formed with a pocket at 53 to permit the'formation of an inwardly extending tab at a point diametrically opposite the gate 52.

The plastic to be molded into the required article is preferably a polyethylene of suitable properties to be chemically inert with respect to the material to be dispensed from container l2. For example a polyethylene melting at about 459 F. is introduced into a cavity wherein the walls are heated to about 136 F.

The fluent hot plastic stream enters the mold at gate 52, and divides into oppositely diverging streams which meet at the other side of the mold essentially opposite to gate 52. As shown in FIGURE 4 these streams meet opposite the gate and extend together into pocket 53. In the usual annular mold of this type there is no provision for radial relief as at pocket 53 and the two columns of plastic move into direct end abutment where their leading edges weld or fuse together along a general plane that is generally radial of the mold and not ordinarily visible to the naked eye except possibly on very close inspection. This plane of meeting, visible or not, is very real structurally and is known as the weld line and it represents a region wherein the annularly molded article is subject to rupture upon application of certain and sufficient stress. This fact that the weld line is structurally weak has long been known, but no manner of correcting or compensating to avoid this Weakness was known prior to the present invention.

With reference to FIGURE 5 it is applicants theory that the success of the invention may be explained as follows. The two approaching ends of the hot fluent plastic streams approach each other opposite a pocket such as that at 53 and upon meeting they turn to flow in side by side relation into pocket 53. As they flow together into the pocket there is relative motion between their contiguous surfaces which results in a more coherent weld line region as at 54 where the material fuses to provide a strong bond. Another theory is that the divided streams of plastic accumulate foreign material in the mold cavity on their leading ends and this foreign material, where the streams merely abut in the usual mold, is dispersed throughout the weld line region and results in a weaker joint. In the invention this foreign material would be directed into pocket 53 where the tab corresponding to tab 40 of the fitting 11 is formed so that relaat tively pure surfaces of material will fuse in the annulus and thus provide a joint of improved rupture resistance.

It will be appreciated that in practicing the invention in all its embodiments the pocket will be located to receive the tab according to the desired direction of projection so that the tab always is formed at the weld line.

FIGURE 6 illustrates an embodiment wherein the annular mold cavity has two gates 55 and 56 for simultaneously introducing the hot plastic, and two pockets S7 and 58 for forming the integral tabs along the resultant weld lines.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restriclive, the scope of the invention being indicated by tie appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A dispenser comprising a container having an open end portion, means for attaching a cover to said container end portion, and an integral annular ball mounting and sealing fitting of molded plastic material mounted on said container end portion within but independently of said cover comprising an upper ball retaining portion, a ball in said ball retaining portion, means extending around the lower end of said fitting for mounting the fitting on the container, means within the lower internal portion of the fitting defining a flexible annular seat having an annular sealing surface against which the ball is adapted to be forced by the attached cover, and a substantially radial inwardly projecting tab integral with said lower portion of the fitting and below said seat and out of contact with said ball when the ball is forcibly seated, said tab being located at a weld line of the molded fitting and projecting away from said sealing surface to locally reentorce the fitting against rupture at said Weld line when the ball is seated.

2. A dispenser comprising a container having an open end portion, means for attaching a cover to said container end portion, and an integral annular ball mounting and sealing fitting of molded plastic material mounted on said container end portion within but independently of said cover comprising an upper ball retaining portion, a ball in said ball retaining portion, means within the lower internal portion of said fitting defining a flexible annular seat having an annular sealing surface against which the ball is adapted to be forced by the attached cover, means extending around said fitting radially outwardly of said seat for mounting the fitting on the container, and a substantially radial inwardly projecting tab integral with said lower portion of the fitting and below said seat and out of contact with said ball when the ball is forcibly seated, said tab being located at a weld line of the molded fitting and projecting away from said sealing surface to locally reenforce the fitting against rupture at said weld line when the ball is seated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,191,703 Anderson Feb. 27, 1940 2,199,144 Tegarty Apr. 30, 1940 2,360,023 Tucker Oct. 10, 1944 2,558,026 Wilson June 26, 1951 2,823,403 Vhitney Feb. 18, 1958 2,875,472 Marcus Mar. 3, 1959 2,975,466 Fillmore Mar. 21, 1961 

2. A DISPENSER COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING AN OPEN END PORTION, MEANS FOR ATTACHING A COVER TO SAID CONTAINER END PORTION, AND AN INTEGRAL ANNULAR BALL MOUNTING AND SEALING FITTING OF MOLDED PLASTIC MATERIAL MOUNTED ON SAID CONTAINER END PORTION WITHIN BUT INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID COVER COMPRISING AN UPPER BALL RETAINING PORTION, A BALL IN SAID BALL RETAINING PORTION, MEANS WITHIN THE LOWER INTERNAL PORTION OF SAID FITTING DEFINING A FLEXIBLE ANNULAR SEAT HAVING AN ANNULAR SEALING SURFACE AGAINST WHICH THE BALL IS ADAPTED TO BE FORCED BY THE ATTACHED COVER, MEANS EXTENDING AROUND SAID FITTING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID SEAT FOR MOUNTING THE FITTING ON THE CONTAINER, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RADIAL INWARDLY PROJECTING TAB INTEGRAL WITH SAID LOWER PORTION OF THE FITTING AND BELOW SAID SEAT AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID BALL WHEN THE BALL IS FORCIBLY SEATED, SAID TAB BEING LOCATED AT A WELD LINE OF THE MOLDED FITTINGN AND PROJECTING AWAY FROM SAID SEALING SURFACE TO LOCALLY REENFORCE THE FITTING AGAINST RUPTURE AT SAID WELD LINE WHEN THE BALL IS SEATED. 